Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Sedans Mazda6 MAZDASPEED6 New Owner Reports
23 messages, Last post on Aug 20, 2009 at 4:06 PM
You are in the Mazda6 Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
|
|
|---|---|
|
I've had my MS6 for just over 2 months now (Almost 1,400 miles). Here are some random impressions: 1) Clutch Engagement -- Much, much better now. I chalk 50% of it up to me getting better at understanding the slightly tricky clutch, but I also think the clutch is grabbing more gracefully after a little break-in. I find the car much easier to drive smoothly now. 2) Solidity -- Still no squeaks and rattles, still tight as a drum. Lest you think I shouldn't be surprised that a car with 1,400 miles has no squeaks and rattles, my VWs did by now.  3) Engine Power Curve -- While this car is still about being on boost, it feels a little smoother after the initial miles. I can definitely say that this car (unsurprisingly) likes cooler weather. I live in the foothills of SoCal where it's 85-100 degrees in the summer. Now that it has cooled off 10-15 degrees, the car feels less out of breath, especially at high revs. It pulls harder and more consistently across the rev range. Perhaps some of that is break-in, but most cars I've owned seem to like 65 degrees and low humidity, which is exactly what we get in late fall and winter here. 4) Stereo Not So Good -- I didn't expect a great stereo when I saw that the MS6 comes with a Bose system. No offense people, but Bose is *not* a company with great audio products, they're a company with great marketing. Still, the stereo is pretty underwhelming. It breaks up and distorts easily at medium-high volumes (volume set to ~25 on CD at freeway speeds) and the speakers resonate annoyingly in their housings (not enough sound-deadening material in there). Also, it's clear that the audio is compressing as the amplifier comes under strain even with ACL turned off. The stereo sounds OK when the car is parked, but when it has to compete with freeway noise, it's not so good. Oh well... Overall, I'm very pleased with this car. I still think its strongest suit is its sleeper credentials. Nobody has any idea what it is -- all they see is tail lights. Funny story: there's a freeway on-ramp on the way home from work with a ~1/4 mile two-lane lead up to it, headed by a signal. At the signal, I was in pole position in the left lane -- I wanted to be in the right lane to get on the freeway. On my right was a new Dodge 5.7L Hemi pickup. The driver gave me a smile and it was on (no traffic around, no danger). From a dead stop, we both accellerated hard over the ~1/4 mile -- I had him by about 3 car lengths by the time I needed to get over. He wasn't pissed, but he was *very* surprised and he kept learing over his hood to read the model on the back of my car. I'm sure he'd never heard of a MAZDASPEED6 before but now he knows what they can do!!! One more thing: strangely, I haven't seen a single MS6 on the road since I bought mine (and I look for any Mazda 6 I see). No wonder the deals are so good these days.... -monkeymobile
|
|
|
Replying to: monkeymobile (Oct 11, 2006 4:27 pm) I live in very hot and very humid north FL, so I'll rarely see these optimum engine conditions. I'm STILL torn between the '06 MS6 and the '07 MS3. I know they're really different cars, but I am really RIGHT in between them. I like the more refined/mature looks, color choices, the AWD, the value, and the warranty (4yr) of the MS6, but the lighter weight, utility, and (supposed) speed/handling advantages of the MS3. For now I'm just going to keep saving money for a bigger down payment and test drive both once the MS3 comes out. If there are any titanium 06 MS6s left to buy in February, then I'm going to have a tough choice to make. |
|
|
Very good story, monkeymobile; makes me jealous. The police are thick here, many speed traps and I got two tickets last year, so, unfortunately, I almost never am "on boost" with my MS6. Eviljoe- At this point I still have my titanium gray Mazda3S as well as my new titanium gray Speed 6 which allows me to switch back and forth. I enjoy them both, but hope to sell the "3". I can understand your indecision. AWD was a big attraction for me but may be worthless in FL. I think the 3 will have more utility; the 6 a more refined look. Either will have plenty speed/handling. Either will be a fun ride. Good luck, |
|
| I've had my MS6 (6/06 production date) for about a month but took it out for the first road trip this week. Driving down from CO to Santa Fe, NM, I just put it in 6th and set the cruise at 75 mph. Arriving in Santa Fe, I refilled the tank: 28 mpg. We spent the next couple days visiting parks (hiking), shopping, and going to restaurants. When refilling the tank (387.2 miles and 13.4 gal.) it computed to 28.9 mpg. Got back home tonight and have 1/4 tank left. Anyhow the total trip was over 1000 miles; a good orientation. In order to like this car, you must enjoy shifting (I do). I usually shift up at about 3000 rpms and shift down if the rpms drop much below 2000. The engine is so quiet that I am paying more attention to the tach to see what it is doing. 3000 rpm in 6th gear is about 76-77 mph. Punch the gas at that speed and you don't have to wait for a reaction; immediate acceleration. I found myself looking down to see if I was in 6th gear; this is the kind of acceleration you usually feel after you have downshifted. Took a twisting mountain road between Taos and Raton; this car corners very well. Passing on a narrow two-lane is great; you instantaneously blow by that slow driver. Drove on an unpaved washboard road/trail for 5 miles to get to a hiking trail; that was bad news. It would have been hard for any vehicle; with the firm suspension, I had to slow down to 15-20 mph. I drove almost the entire distance and stepped out feeling fine; the seat and driving position are very comfortable and ergonomic. The clutch does tend to engage fairly suddenly, but the car has so much torque that there is little chance of a stall. Great visibility. I enjoy the automatic climate control. My wife has an Audi A4 Quattro; this car, to us, has a similar sense of sport sedan. A little more sport and a little less luxury; certainly less turbo lag than the Audi 1.8T. Next week I will be putting four Bridgestone Potenza AS 225-45 R18 tires on the car for winter. I looked at the Pirellis but was told that their tread pattern is only marginally suited to snow and that they wear fast. At this point I am completely satisfied with the MS6; it meets or exceeds all my expectations, and I can't believe that it costs less than $23K. I have noticed a substantial amount of brake dust at the front wheels; the dealer tells me that is nothing to worry about and it certainly hasn't affected the performance. | |
|
Hey Guys, I traded in my '05 SP23 hatch for a Speed6. I test drove the MS3 and as much fun as it was to drive, it was still the same inside (which I knew). I was saying to myself that I need to focus on comfort (being 6'5") and just knew that I couldn't hold on to the 3 any longer. So, the general manager (friend of mine) said, "I know you're disappointed the MS3 not having a mooroof but go test drive it, it might change your mind. I gotta admit... it's leaps and bounds from my SP and it's turbo character is impressive. But one thing I noticed is that the MS3's test drive, the growling noise, yes I said "noise" becomes annoying after awhile. Maybe I'm getting old, but the cabin was vibrating too much with the engine and exhaust vibrations. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it in the beginning, but if I'm going to cruise with my family, I don't want to constantly be telling my wife "what did you say?", "speak louder"... Like I said, I must be getting old but I really enjoyed the comfort and quietness of the MS6. Needless to say, Mazda threw out a 25% MSRP on the MS6 that same day, Friday. It still hasn't hit me yet, but in my garage sits a beautiful Black Cherry MS6.... MSRP ~$32k, walked out with it for $25k with my trade-in. The space and comfort in this car is amazing. Sound deadening is right where I like it to be. You hear the turbo but you don't get the cabin shakes like on the MS3. I think Mazda just took the power on the 3 and didn't really 'balance' it to the character of the car. But in any event, like I said, the MS3 is very nice, but I'm enjoying a much more 'grown ups' car. On a different note, there's a service bulletin for the excessive brake dust. Tell your dealer to stop jerking you and get that taken care of.
|
|
|
|
Hi all, I was wondering if anybody else is having issues with knocking during acceleration. I had my car reflashed 2 months ago, but now it seems like every 2 weeks I get either hesitation or knocking during acceleration coming from engine. I took it in to service but they told me to bring it back when it's making that noise, but it only happens very once in awhile. I have tried different brands of gas and I have tried to repeat the problem but it seems that it only happens every 2 weeks. It almost feels like pressure building, after it does it's misfire/hesitation/knocking the car runs fine. Anyone else with this problem ( oh and it happens on all gears too)
|
|
| So far so good is my new MS6. Still a solid car. The engine still tight. I only have 1950 miles. I'm very particular where I'm taking the car because here in Oklahoma some roads are bad. I have blow doors of some unsuspected Accords, Infinitis, Lexus and even some regular Mazda 6's & 3's. Mileage in the city is not the best. I get far better fuel economy from the highway. When you are crusing at 75 and you need to past somebody or loose bubba tailgating you with their diesel one tons just punch it. The car just relax and woosh to 100 miles like nothing. Yes, I can drive that car smothly with no jerkiness like a chaufer style driving. For the money and equipment you get a good package. The Subaru Legacy GT and Spec b comes close but try to get a discount like Mazda does. Volvo R60 to expensive. Finally, the car gets good looks from other drivers confunsing with a BMW. | |
|
750 miles and no problems as of yet. clutch is a bit tricky (in that it isn't always the same), and the electric windows sure roll up and down with a powerful *thunk* into place. sometimes acceleration/shifting feels really jerky, but at other times it seems so smooth. i detest the seat-belt warning-beeper-thing, but the dealership told me that service probably wouldn't disconnect it for me since it was a safety feature. my gas mileage is fairly bad--18 to 21mpg--but i have a very heavy foot at the moment. i've already gotten my first speeding ticket (my first in years). there are some nasty curves near my apartment and last night (monday night) at 1am, since no one was around, i took them at 50mph. the car had no problems holding on, and as i exited the turns i began to accelerate. though i let off when i noticed the unmarked-police-car-looking-car on the side of the road. he got me doing 50 in a 30, a $186 ticket. so unfortunately i won't be getting a tint-job or a radar-detector as soon as i'd hoped.
|
|
You are here:
Forums
Sedans Mazda6 MAZDASPEED6 New Owner Reports
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2007 Mazda MAZDASPEED MAZDA6
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
